Rich is out in Italy signing cards in exchange for coffee or something, so he asked me to take over the blog again this week in lieu of having a meeting. So I added it to my to-do list, and immediately moved pieces of my plan around to make room for it.
For those that don’t know, I am self-employed as a contractor to a number of clients in the RPG and video game industries (of which Onyx Path is only one, albeit a favorite one). Working for myself has lots of benefits, such as being able to work from home and hang out with my dog in my office. It also has downsides, such as sometimes losing track of what day it is and not having anyone to hand work off to when projects start backing up. Which is what has happened to me.
Generally, I look at my schedule as a giant game of Tetris. Whenever I work on a project, I estimate how many hours it’ll take. I then look at how many hours I have in a month, along with various deadlines in that month, and plan accordingly. Most of the time, it works reasonably well — maybe a project sticks out a bit, but most of it fits into that nice gap in my schedule, and I can clear a row of projects.
Right now, my schedule is that part of the game where I have five rows of nearly-finished blocks, and I just cannot get a straight piece no matter what.
I understand a lot of the factors that led to this — some bad estimates, combined with unanticipated delays, and exacerbated by a computer hard drive that was going bad for over a month before I noticed it and could get Tech Support to send me a new one. (I’m on my reserve Macbook at the moment, while I wait for that to come in.) Whatever the reasons, though, it really just means a ton of stuff on my plate is behind. I’m doing what I can to use smaller pieces to get a couple rows cleared here and there, until those negative factors get out of the way and I can finally clear a bunch of rows all at once, but it also means I’m so focused on getting this cleared that I sometimes lose track of the larger game.
I’ve had a number of people ask what it takes to be a professional writer (or artist or designer or whatever). There’s tons of great advice all over the Internet, as well as at trade shows and convention panels. However, the biggest thing I’ve learned since I’ve started working for myself is to look at a problem and find ways to fix it beyond spending more hours on it (although sometimes the answer really is “just spend more hours on it”). Being able to look at the whole Tetris board, the piece that is falling into place now along with the one coming up, anticipating what pieces might be coming next — that is just as much a part of being a professional as writing clean copy and making sure your invoices are correct. Sometimes you screw that up, but all you can do it is focus on the problem areas and get things done.
Now if I could just get that one piece….
BLURBS!
We’ve started doing special blogs every day this month to celebrate October as the Month of Darkness. Look for more snippets from various projects and notes from the developers on why they bits are their favorites and what went into them, as well as special sales. These will happen all October leading up to Halloween – because you know that’s our favorite holiday!
Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition PDF & Standard and Premium PoD physical book editions are NOW AVAILABLE on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149562/Mage-the-Ascension-20th-Anniversary-Edition
Vampire 20th Anniversary Edition: The Dark Ages is NOW available in PDF and PoD versions at DriveThruRPG.com! This massive full color tome is part of the V20 line but does not require V20 to play and enjoy.
The Pugmire Pamphlet we had available at Gen Con is now ready for PDF download. Read about the world of Pugmire from the enthusiastic and optimistic pen of Princess Yosha Pug, as well as notes from the gruff and worldly hunter Pan Daschund: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/153518/Pugmire-Gen-Con-Brochure
There are also six Pugmire posters available as free PDFs or $.99 physical posters, suitable for framing:
- Spike Mutt: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150845/Spike-Mutt-Pugmire-Poster-6
- Pan Dachshund: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150844/Pan-Dachshund-Pugmire-Poster-5
- Jack Rat-Terrier: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150944/Jack-RatTerrier-Pugmire-Poster-4
- Sgt. Leo Bulldog: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150843/Sgt-Leo-Bulldog-Pugmire-Poster-3
- Princess Yosha Pug: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149750/Princess-Yosha-Pug-Pugmire-Poster-2
- Sister Picassa Collie: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/148516/Sister-Picassa-Collie-Pugmire-Poster-1
Start spreading the Code of Man!
Dread Names, Red List for V20 is available! This collection of the most dangerous Kindred ever called Anathema is available in both PDF and hardcover PoD versions: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150381/V20-Dread-Names-Red-List
CONVENTIONS!
We’re finalizing plans for a big Onyx Path presence at Midwinter Con again this year this January in Milwaukee. Big blurb when that is all worked out. In the meantime, check out the show here: http://www.midwintergamingconvention.com/
Rich just wrapped up Ovino in Milan, Italy signing Magic the Gathering cards. I’m sure if people still want to track him down and buy him a drink, he’d be happy to chat! http://www.ovinotournament.com/
And now, the new project status updates!
First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)
- M20 Book of Secrets (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- CtL anthology (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)
- Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition
- Cavaliers of Mars
- Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
Redlines
- Mummy Fiction Anthology (Mummy: the Curse)
- Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition
- Cursed Necropolis: Rio (Mummy: the Curse)
- Beckett’s Jyhad Diary (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)- In Open Development
- WtF The Pack (Werewolf: the Forsaken 2nd Edition)
- VtM Lore of the Bloodlines (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- WtA Kinfolk (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Dark Eras Companion (nWod Dark Eras)
- V20 Ready Made Characters (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Beast Ready Made Characters (Beast: the Primordial)
- Beast Fiction Anthology (Beast: the Primordial)
Second Draft
- Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Secrets of the Covenants (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
- The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Development
- StoryPath System Rules (Base rules set for Scion and the Trinity Continuum)
- Scarred Lands Player’s Guide: Ghelspad (Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- nWoD Hurt Locker (World of Darkness 2nd Edition)
- M20 Anthology (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Dark Eras Expansions (nWod Dark Eras)
- Pugmire Early Access
Editing
- V20 Ghouls (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- V20 Black Hand: Guide to the Tal’Mahe’Ra (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- W20 Shattered Dreams (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Promethean: the Created 2nd Edition, featuring the Firestorm Chronicle (Promethean: the Created)
- Mage: the Awakening 2nd Edition, featuring the Fallen World Chronicle (Mage: the Awakening)
- W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
Post-Editing Development:
ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:
In Art Direction
- V20 Ghouls – Awaiting text.
- Guide to the Black Hand – Got finals in from a couple more guys… gonna do a round up email this week.
- W20 Shattered Dreams – Art is all in.
- Demon STG – Finals continue to roll in.
- Mage: the Awakening Second – Art in progress.
- Promethean: the Created Second – Sending out the remainder of the notes and contracts this week.
In Layout
- Lore of the Clans – wrapping that up this week… NWoD 2 and other things permitting.
- Dreams of Avarice – working.
- Beast: The Primordial – Got corrections in from McF.
Proofing
- NWoD 2 – Just sent it into proofing.
- M20 How Do You Do That ?!? – Wrapping up corrections.
- Ex 3 Anthology – Awaiting updated text file.
- Ex 3 core book – From Eddy: I don’t have any updated information, so I’ll repost what Rich mentioned last week. Page XX page numbers from the Devs sent to Maria. No idea how long it will take for her to input these into an almost 700 pg book. It took me three 12 hours days to do the ones for V20, and we didn’t have as many. After she’s done we submit the whole corrected PDF to CCP again to show we hit their needed correx. And then the backer PDF gets sent out…
At Press
- V20DA – Should see a cover sample this week.
- M20 – Prepping LtD files.
Special- projects on hold until an external factor is resolved
- Dark Eras
- Wraith 20
- Pentex Employee Indoctrination Manual
TODAY’S REASON TO DRINK: None of the pharmacies nearby seem to have the medication my dog needs.
Comments
43 responses to “Schedule Tetris [Monday Not-Meeting Notes]”
Looking at that Exalted update like D:
I know everyone’s working hard to get it done and through. I’m just very excited.
Can you ask Rich later, when he is free? Because people are really anxious about this.
As mentioned above, he’s on the other side of the world right now at a convention. While he may choose to drop us a note with some commentary, he’s more likely not to.
You’ll be getting updates when he returns.
That Exalted update, while totally understandable with Rich out, is heartbreaking this close to the end. Hopefully Rich’s international adventures are delaying only the update and not the submission to CCP*.
*I originally typed CCCP, what a strange world it would be if the Exalted release required Soviet approval.
As I’m the person who handles CCP approvals, it’s not the submission to CCP.
*Like*!
Thanks for the response Eddy! Is it not at the submission step because it’s not there yet, or because it has passed that point and is/was in CCP’s hands?
IIRC it passed through CCP approvals earlier (but I may be misremembering). Holden’s been finishing the Page XX references, which is one of the final steps of layout.
It was sent once before, and requested changes were made. According to last week’s update (which is reposted above) Holden finished the references and sent them to Maria. Another submission to CCP was to come after that, I was just curious if that second submission was ahead of or behind us.
The second draft hasn’t hit my desk yet.
Has the M20 screen fallen into a paradox realm or something?
Well it’s not up for sale at drive-thru
Nor will it be until the physical screens have shipped to backers. Thanks!
I think I’m going to pick up V20 Dark Ages. I managed to find a very nice copy of the 2002 Dark Ages book in a used book store a few months back and have been reading through it. I had no idea how different from regular Vampire the Dark Ages stuff is. I think I’m going to have to run it when I get the chance.
Really excited for Exalted 3rd Edition.
That or it fell into the Void with the Exalted novel.
That didn’t attach to the right comment, i.e. Rob the Slob ‘s.
The M20 Screen is in the process of being printed along with the Dark Ages screen.
Thanks Mike! (Surely this should be added to the blurbs?)
@Rob the Slob We’ve listed it as it went through the stages, now it’s being printed and out of Mike’s level of interaction. Next will be shipping to the M20 shipper and all that and I’ll be updated backers directly when those steps occur.
Interesting tweet from the hamster of doom
Check out @HoldenShearer’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/HoldenShearer/status/651155934010413056?s=07
Does that means EX3 has been submitted, or will very shortly be?
Mage20 turned out really nice (PDF). The forthcoming supplements should be equally interesting.
I’m really looking forward to the Exalted 3rd Edition PDF.
Looking forward to the Exalted PDF most of all. 🙂
I love how you guys post weekly updates. But I was hoping I could put in a request? I absolutly love Scion and I’d like to hear a little more in depth what’s going on. I’ve read the teasers but it’s not enough!
What would you like to know? Besides the Ask Neall thread on the forums, I’ll answer any one question you ask.
ONE QUESTION.
All of the books I want are so close to release. But they feel so very far away.
I was wondering if anything was wrong with the Secrets of the Covenants book? It’s been in second draft for a while now, so I’m just curious. Hopefully everything is fine!
So close to so much new OP goodness, yet so far away. Here’s to October being the month that finally unleashes that great big backlog of books.
I’m a little unclear how the “Finding XX” process works and I’d like to understand it better. I get that Holden has come up with a list of page numbers that the various Page XX entries in the text point back to and has then given this to Maria for input into the text. But I guess I’m just unclear what form this inputting takes or how involved this process is, because I was very surprised at the amount of time Rich said it took on V20.
I’m not saying it shouldn’t take that long, because, if nothing else, it sounds like a tedious but necessary task and those always take longer, just that my assumptions for what the process entails are apparently way off and I’d like to learn more about what the process actually entails.
…Also, Eddy, as long as you’re here, can you tell us what the approvals process is like? If you can’t, that’s fine. I don’t want to push.
It depends on the project. Most times I get a file (art file or PDF), I set aside some time to review it, and send back comments. 90% of the time, it’s over and done very quickly with no revisions necessary. Naturally, larger and more complex projects take longer, but thus far the longest I’ve taken to send back comments was a week.
Mage and Promethean 2e, wherefore art thine print! (not giving up day job as professional refactorer to write poetry)
Today’s useless comment from me: “Wherefore” means “why”, not “where”! 😉
I know it was terrible… although I’m basically saying why aren’t you in print yet? or where is my print copy… so perhaps I did mean “why” 😉
Fair enough, I’ll buy that! 😀
Hello everyone.
If everything is in for Shattered Dreams, does that imply an imminent Kickstarter?
So this may be a bit ahead of schedule, but do we have any sense of when the Changeling 20th kickstarter is slated for yet? I remember seeing something about that happening in Autumn.
Hi there,
I’m getting a little worried about the Exalted 3 Kickstarter, partially because it is so late and not everyone is as patient. In the KS comments a user said, that he has taken legal action against Onyx Path.
Can such an action cause further problems for the KS? That is my main point for worrying.
Christian
How can legal actions be taken if all you have is an estimated date?
I don’t think he has much space to sue OP.
Hopefully,
I have no experience with the US legal system and my fear is just, that such an action could cause damage to the KS as a whole.
Personally I hope to get the PDF for Exalted 3rd in the next two weeks 🙂
I believe the crux of the issue is at no point a refund was offered and some who backed the project now no longer want the backed product after all these years.
By Night Studios announced at Las Vegas by Night that they’ll be organizing a new Grand Masquerade in New Orleans to honor the 25th Anniversary.
Will Onyx Path Publishing partake in the organisation or be maybe present with a booth (or stuff ^^; )?
im going to stick with my assumption that ex3 will be released late this month early next month but honestly NOW im uncertain which to be more excited about….
RWBY season 3 or Exalted 3rd?
o.o; what if both hit on the same day. just thinking about it makes me shake with excitement. i just hope i dont die of anticipation.
I received my Backer-Discounted M20 book, and I think that its awesome! Granted, I did go the cheapest version of it, but I still think that it’ll be useful.
On a separate note: How is VtM 4th Ed going? Will we be seeing any hints on what setting changes will be in store for my favorite of the Storyteller game lines?